Chefs of three top-rated hotels here were indicted without physical detention for using a restricted additive in their salmon dishes, the Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office said Monday.
The three hotels in question, the Novotel, Inter-Continental and Marriott, are all located in southern Seoul.
According to the prosecutors, a chef at the Marriott Hotel in question was accused of selling a total of 5.75 tons of cured salmon treated with pickling salt containing sodium nitrate, which the Korea Food and Drug Administration classifies as harmful in large quantities. The salmon sold to customers was worth 50 million won.
Chefs of the Novotel and Inter-Continental hotels were accused of selling 28kg and 26kg of tainted salmon, respectively. Sodium nitrate has the effect of making salmon look fresh when applied, but has been proven to cause anemia when consumed in large quantities.
Under the relevant regulations, the substance is allowed to be used only in sausage and fish egg products.